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Two hundred people killed in road accidents in 2014

Transport Scotland Statisticians today released final figures for road casualties reported to the police in Scotland in 2014. The figures show the total number of casualties fell by two per cent between 2013 and 2014 from 11,504 to 11,268, the lowest number since records began. As well as the increase in fatalities between 2013 and 2014, the number of people seriously injured also increased by two per cent to 1,699.

The figures also show that, in 2014, there were 1,034 child casualties in reported road accidents, a decrease of 3 per cent since 2013. This included seven fatalities, 2 fewer than 2013, and 171 children who were seriously injured, up from 143 in 2013.

There were five fewer pedal cyclists killed than in 2013 but 19 more pedestrian fatalities. There were also seven more motorcyclists killed and four more car user fatalities.

2014 saw a five per cent reduction in car users seriously injured and a small decrease in bus and coach users seriously injured but the other major modes of transport saw increases in the number of people seriously injured; there were five per cent more pedestrians and pedal cyclists seriously injured and a 15 per cent increase in the number of motorcyclists seriously injured between 2013 and 2014.

These statistics provide updates on progress against Scotland’s road safety targets as set out in the Scottish Road Safety Framework. Compared to the 2004-2008 baseline, in 2014 there were:

The figures released today were produced by independent statistical staff free from any political interference, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

These figures update the provisional figures published in Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2014 in June 2015. The figures included in this publication may differ from Police Scotland management information.

The statistics in the publication are used by Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, Local Authorities and road safety professionals across Scotland to target interventions to make Scotland’s roads safer.

The Scottish Road Safety Framework was launched in June 2009, outlining Scotland specific targets. This can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/10/01090036/0. Progress towards the 2020 casualty reduction targets is shown in section 8 of the publication. Each reduction target is assessed against the 2004/08 average. These targets are:

a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people killed in road traffic accidents;

a 55 per cent reduction in the number of people seriously injured;

a 50 per cent reduction in the number of children killed; Measured using an average of three years of data due to the small numbers and year on year fluctuations.

a 65 per cent reduction in the number of children seriously injured; and

a 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres